Natalie Wood Cold Case Still Open, No New Evidence Found

Authorities have found no new evidence in the reopened cold case of actress Natalie Wood to suggest her death was anything but an accident. Photo: Ho New / Reuters

Natalie Wood's cold case, which was reopened nearly two months ago, has resulted in no new evidence to indicate foul play, authorities told the media on Tuesday. The case remains open and the actress' death is still being ruled as an accident.

Nothing has been discovered to suggest changing that at this time, William McSweeney, Los Angeles County Sheriff's chief of detectives, told the Los Angeles Times.

Authorities reopened the 30-year-old case last November. They have conducted several weeks of interviews and other type of investigative work but have yielded nothing new to suggest that Wood's death was a homicide.

They decided to reopen the case because several sources reportedly came forward with new information regarding the matter.

According to the Times, detectives have also reviewed the original case file as whole and traveled to Hawaii to conduct an inspection of the boat on which Wood was last seen alive.

Natalie Wood, 43, died on Thanksgiving weekend on Nov. 28, 1981. She was on a yacht off Catalina Island with her husband Robert Wagner and actor Christopher Walken. Walken was her costar in the film Brainstorm. All three reportedly had dinner the evening before the drowning happened. They all returned to the yacht later and had drinks.

The Times has reported that Wagner and Walken told police that they got into an argument. Wagner reportedly said things calmed down thereafter and he retired to bed but Wood wasn't there. He thought Wood took an inflatable boat alone, like she had done before, according to the Times.

Wagner said Walken also went to bed.

CBS Los Angeles has reported that when Wood's body was found she was wearing a parka. It was then believed she fell overboard and the parka filled with water caused her to drown.

Boat captain Davern has went on television shows saying that he was skeptical about the original investigation. He has also reportedly said that he believed Wood's death might have involved foul play.